Still in need of help with my spirited 9month old.

[RACHPEM]

Really sorry but I am here again.  Maya is 9months now and we are still struggling, infact she is now taking longer to settle at night, frequent nw and still not napping great.  We have managed to cut her nt sleep down to 12 hours and for the last 3 days she has gone back to sleep afrer 2hrs 45-50mins and slept for 1hr 30 and 2 hrs! the day she did 2hrs I put her down again for next nap at 3hrs and she slept another 1hr 30, the day she did 1hr 30 I put her down after 2.5 and she slept 1hr 30, however today she slept this morning 1.5 after 2hr 50 and then I tried to put her down after 3hr and she only slept 30min.  I thought that throughout the day there A time got longer, so again I am at a loss? btw the NW were happening before this new sleep pattern.  I just really feel totally drained, emotionally and physically, I have just lost my mom to breast cancer so I my emotions are highly charged anyway and I just cant cope anymore.  My days feel so long as she is just so miserable and does not stop crying all day nothing makes her happy I dont know how to keep her occupied she gets fed up after 5 mins and is completly hyper inbetween, when she wakes at night she seems wide awake and takes 1hr 30 to get back off, she jerks like mad fighting me which really gets me down, then hubby comes in with her and says " she is not tired, lets keep her up" which I dont but he does not think she needs sleep.  When I put her down at night she bangs around in the cot for ages banging her legs off the mattress! Could it be she does need less A time being spirited? Has anyone with spirited lo's found they need less A time? I would love to hear your success stories, I am very careful not to overstimulate.
I am sorry to be a pest and to drone on but I really felt I needed a shoulder to lean on.
Thanks for listening.
Rachael xxx

[Fiver]

Rachael, *hugs* to you!  I really don't know what to suggest, but we've been going through a similar thing with naps and night time sleep with our LO (also 9m).

Completely randomly, the naps seems to have started sorting themselves out (although nowhere near as much as yours!!), but now he's having trouble settling to sleep in the evening despite obviously being tired (and still not napping amazingly well!)

DS also bangs his legs a lot on the mattress and thrashes about (in fact, he's been doing it for about the last 10-15m!).  I think the legs banging might have something to do with them having lots of energy in their legs and the muscles just wanting to release some of it, but it sure is frustrating when you can tell it's that that is stopping them going to sleep!

Sorry not to have been of any real help, but don't feel bad about needing a shoulder!  We all do every now and then (or every day!!)